Restaurant opening: Woven by Adam Smith at Coworth Park

Coworth Park has unveiled details for Woven by Adam Smith, the new restaurant opening at Dorchester Collection’s luxury country house hotel on 8 September 2022. Chef Adam Smith’s menu will offer a tapestry of familiar flavours reimagined in unexpected ways, combining the classics with modern touches and layers of personal experience. Martin Hulbert Design has created the interiors for the restaurant, crafting a theatrical and contemporary space that blends seamlessly into the Georgian manor house setting, whilst complementing and elevating the dining experience.

An eye-catching set of sculptures inspired by the Coworth Park gardens sits at the entrance of Woven by Adam Smith. Past these, guests will be welcomed into an impressive new wine room and pantry, with two floor-to-ceiling wine cellars, holding a unique curation of bottles. The culinary journey will begin with a selection of snacks served from the pantry including devilled egg; caviar, smoked roe, pine; Coronation chicken; andcured seabass, XO sauce, kalamansi, seaweed. Welcome drinks will pair seamlessly with Adam’s menu and introduce guests to a list that celebrates British wines alongside library vintages from some of the best producers around the world, and cocktails that use storied, sustainable British spirits from Sapling.

A light-filled conservatory with expansive views over the Berkshire countryside sits to one side of the pantry, offering an extension of the main restaurant space or an exclusive private dining setting for up to 12 guests. The main dining room seats 44, with interiors that champion quality, craft and natural materials at every turn. As a centrepiece of the restaurant, a striking plaster relief set with root vegetables sits on the back wall, made by artisans Locker & Riley. The eye is also drawn to a contemporary light installation that mimics a woodland canopy, with delicate rays of light pouring over the restaurant below. The design of the space sets the scene for a wonderfully storied dining experience.

With surprising twists and turns, Adam’s food challenges expectations of the classics, with recipes, ingredients and dishes reinterpreted through the lens of personal experience. Adam rose through the ranks in the kitchens of The Ritz and The Devonshire Arms, before joining Coworth Park as Executive Chef in 2016. He has gained numerous awards along the way; amongst his proudest moments, winning the prestigious Roux Scholarship in 2012 and being awarded Master of Culinary Arts in 2017. Woven by Adam Smith represents the culmination of Adam’s great career to date, with the chef taking his years of experience combined with a creative and hugely passionate approach to cooking, and fully expressing his unique style at the new restaurant. The menu champions British produce in dishes such as brown crab, radish, apple, basil and yuzu; Hen of the Woods, Old Winchester, turnip and truffle; and Hereford beef, potato, onion, tendon and tongue. In celebration of Coworth Park’s bee hives, desserts include black fig, estate honey, walnut andbee pollen. Alternatively, guests can indulge in Adam’s signature chocolate, sea salt, coco nib andcrème fraîche, or choose from a wide selection of British cheeses served from the pantry.

The menu is priced at £80pp for lunch and £130pp for dinner, with the experience starting with a selection of snacks ‘From The Pantry’, followed by a choice ‘From The Larder’, ‘From The Stove’ and ‘From The Pastry’, before concluding with a selection of sweet treats. Wine pairing will be offered at £80pp.

dorchestercollection.com

The Next Generation of Donut

Reviewed & written by Mollie Kent

Urban Legend has launched a new guilt-free donut shop, allowing us all to indulge responsibly!

I got the opportunity to savour what puts the ‘legend’ into this new pop-up and how they have flourished and tapped into an audience of tastebud enthusiasts who enjoy sweet-tasting treats without worrying about unhealthy options. To put this into perspective, one of their donuts has the same amount of calories as a slice of buttered toast.

Sounds too good to be true? It’s all down to science as the team set out to make outrageously good donuts using all-natural ingredients and colours.
The creators at Urban Legend set about turning the tide on sugar and fat, using natural ingredients found in melons, pears, roots and leaves as alternatives to sugar, with donuts steamed. The bold colours are taken from plant and vegetable extracts – purple from beetroot, yellow from safflower etc. Every product is free from artificial preservatives, colours or flavours.

I visited the launch of their shop in BOXPARK Croydon, which was shortly followed by another store at Clapham Junction. These following the successful launch of their first shop in Brighton!
Being located right outside Croydon BOXPARK, this is the perfect stop on date night when you’re craving some guilt-free dessert. I won’t give away all the flavours, but there is something for everyone. Whether that be the fruity ‘Berry Unbelievable’, with ripe blackberries and raspberries and a dark chocolate cookie crumble, which almost looks too pretty to eat. Or the ‘Choc Party’, with all the drizzles and a chocolatey cookie crumb confetti.

Overall, I loved the idea of enjoying a guilt-free treat and expect this will become a favourite with the rest of the Travel Dine Relax office. The donut experts have your sweet hit covered! Grab one iced donut for £1.95, or opt for a box of three (£5.65), six (£9.95), or twelve (£14.95) to share the love with friends, as the perfect accompaniment for get togethers as we come into party season.

urban-legend.com

Francesco Mazzei’s Radici launches weekly Giro Pizza Club, from Tuesday 9th November

Radici, the Islington trattoria from acclaimed chef Francesco Mazzei, is launching Giro Pizza Club from Tuesday 9th November. Every Tuesday from 5pm for the fixed price of £15, diners can enjoy as many slices of pizza as they like from a menu of classics and revel in the Italian tradition of ‘Giro Pizza’, a common pastime to gather with friends in a local pizzeria and enjoy rounds of freshly made, delicious pizza.

Image courtesy of Radici

Pizzas will include the newly created Troppo Forte – blue cheese, ‘nduja and honey as well as classics such as Margherita and Tropeana – tuna, red onions. And the value won’t stop there, cheerful drinks menu will include the Negroni “del Mazzei” – Tanqueray Gin, Roslio, Cocchi Americano, Olives (£10) and Il Piccante – Absolut Vodka Citron, Elderflower Cordial, Honey, Cranberry Juice, Fresh Chilli (£10).

The perfect destination for a post-work or post-school mid-week treat, Radici’s Giro Pizza Club is an opportunity for guests to sample the variety of beloved and delicious pizzas on offer.

Every Tuesday from 5pm
radici.uk/event/giro-pizza-club/
Address: 30 Almeida Street, London, N1 1AD

Taste East Devon Launch Nine-Day Food and Drink Festival

Saturday 11th September – Sunday 19th September

A passionate community of award-winning venues, producers, chefs and restaurants throughout East Devon have joined forces to create the Taste East Devon Festival; an initiative to celebrate the incredible food and drink on offer in the region. Venues will open their doors to visitors with a series of food and drink events over the nine day festival. Some events will be ticketed, some will be open days.

The festival is a true ‘field to fork’ experience with founding members from Darts Farm, THE PIG-at Combe, River Cottage, Deer Park Country House, East Devon AONB, Mazzard Farm, Jack in the Green, Otter Brewery, Lympstone Manor and the Donkey Sanctuary.

Image courtesy of Taste East Devon

The nine-day festival will launch on Saturday 11th September and will encompass a selection of events for food lovers. From an evening with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall at River Cottage to a Darts Farm River Exe extravaganza cycling trail. Various restaurants in the area will create special menus and experiences throughout the week including a seafood tasting experience at The Salutation Inn and a ‘Totally East Devon’ menu at The Jack and The Green. The Donkey Sanctuary will be hosting a vegetarian afternoon and beer lovers may book a tour and BBQ at Otter Brewery. And for the big finale… this will be held at THE PIG-at Combe.

Taste East Devon Festival Chair and owner of Mazzard Farm holiday cottages, Ruud Jansen Venneboer comments: “East Devon has such a strong food community and is home to some of the most incredible names in the country; Michael Caines and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. We are a world class food destination and it’s time we started shouting about it!

Michael Dart, Director, Darts Farm comments: At Darts Farm we have always championed our amazing local artisan producers and now being able to work with other businesses that share our values to showcase East Devon is an incredible privilege. We are planning a whole host of events, from cooking demos and meet-the makers, to a ‘Mini Food Festival and Farm Feast’, down in our tipis with open wood fires cooking food and live music.

More information can be found over on their social media platforms or by visiting eastdevonexcellence.co.uk/taste

Food and Drink ideas for Fathers Day

It’s that time of year again when we start thinking of ideas to treat the father figures in our lives. While food and drink fans are relatively easy to buy for, finding them something new to try can often be a challenge. We looked at some of our favourites that are sure to tick the boxes of even the pickiest food and drink fanatic and definitely have you in the good books!

Image courtesy of Dark Arts Coffee

One for Coffee fans

Dark Arts Coffee are fuelling the community of tired dads, one bag of coffee at a time. Their limited-edition Father’s Day offering, Father Yod, is a washed pink bourbon from Sebastian Gomez’s farm Finca La Divisa. Pink Bourbon is a relatively new varietal that’s a hybrid between red and yellow bourbon. This varietal is not easy to cultivate, requiring a lot of maintenance and meticulous attention to detail. From whole beans to ground coffee suitable for any at-home set-up, it’s a great way to give dads the gift of a delicious, freshly brewed cup of coffee this Father’s Day.

Father’s Day Coffee: £14, darkartscoffee.co.uk

Image courtesy of Shop Cuvée

One for Beer Enthusiasts

Shop Cuvée has carefully put together the ultimate Beer Survival Pack, providing a unique selection of beers from the best breweries around the world. It’s a perfect way to introduce Dads to new styles of beer or interesting takes on the classics. The Beer Survival Pack comes with six beers personally selected by the Shop Cuvée team and includes the likes of VillagesBoxcar and Mikkeller. What’s more, this perfect bundle of beer will feature exclusive launches as well as beers not featured on the website.

Beer Survival Pack: £19.99 for six cans shopcuvee.com

Image courtesy of Harrison Ovens

Braai Brothers

Harrison Ovens, the luxury British Charcoal oven company, known for its exceptional, handmade, high performing, professional ovens, is the ultimate bit of kit for the dad who has it all. Their latest oven is perfect for the impending summer bbq season and is guaranteed to impress the neighbours and take pride in place in the garden. Made to complement their professional oven range, the Harrison at Home collection makes achieving restaurant-quality cooking possible at home, easily and quickly. 

Each Harrison Atom is made to order at the Harrison Oven’s workshop in Kent. RRP: £3,500 + VAT, optional cabinet on wheels is an additional £850 + VAT. harrisonovens.com

Tool Time

And no, we don’t mean the DIY kind! ‘Kings of the grill’ will love this decent selection of BBQ utensils from Libertine – the UK’s National Burger Award winners. The ultimate tools to make outdoor cooking as stress-free as can be. BURGER SMASHER (£25)  HELL’S HANDLE GRILL SCRAPER (£24.50)

Image courtesy of Tarquin’s Gin

G&T Aficionados

Multi award-winning Tarquin’s Cornish Dry Gin has been Amazon’s best-selling gin for three years running, handcrafted in small batches using 12 meticulously chosen botanicals to create its unique, fresh flavour. Tarquin’s Cornish Dry Gin: £35 for 70cl shop.tarquinsgin.com

The Meat Feast

If Dad loves a BBQ or just a general meaty feast, Farmison & Co have created their best quality meat boxes. Supplying delicious dry-aged, hand-cut meat, including heritage breeds, and only ever sourcing from responsible and sustainable British farms. The BBQ collection features a selection of carefully curated BBQ boxes and pantry essentials: 

  • The Flavours of the world BBQ box | £40 | Serves 6+
  • The Great British BBQ box | £35 | Serves 6+
  • The Weekend Staycation Box | £37.50 | Serves 2+
  • The Family Staycation box | £59.50 | Serves 4+ 
Image courtesy of Huelva

The Continental Connoiseur

For Father’s Day, treat dad to Iberica’s very own, award-winning JP Domecq 100% Iberico Bellota Ham from Huelva with a complimentary carving knife for £650. The authentic Spanish restaurant and deli are one of the only places in the UK where you can find this rare Iberico Ham, where the pigs have been fed with acorns and pasture until they reach 50 kilos weight, resulting in the highest quality meat. 

Considered one of the best ham producers in Spain, Juan Pedro Domecq has won 3 Gold Stars at the Great Taste Awards for the 6th time this year and the third Golden Fork at the Guild of Fine Foods. The making of this 100% Iberico bellota ham is artisanal, with an average curing age of 42 months in drying cellars in the Sierra de Huelva area. 

Review: Love Yourself

We love to try new tastes and experiences, so when the opportunity arose to try out the Love Yourself food delivery service we jumped at the chance. Our reviewer, Charlotte took a look at what their vegetarian menu had to offer and whether the feel good factor and convenience won the day.

With many of us taking lockdown time to catch up on our culinary skills or take advantage of local delivery services, trying this healthy eating day menu seemed like a great idea to sink our teeth into.

On the menu was a full day of easy, good for yourself food that needed little or no cooking or long preparation time. I think post lockdown this would be a great option for busy people who do not have large amounts of time to source quality food.

Initial reaction: Keeping up with its good for yourself ethos, the days food arrived in good quality and recyclable packaging. A days food did not take up a huge amount of space in the fridge and it felt very convenient throughout the day for meal planning. Unlike some meal services, this one came in a paper bag, so there was no large box to recycle.

Seed planting.
Along with my days food they included a grow it yourself seed tray. It was timed perfectly as I needed a window sill plant and once it’s established it will take a spot at the end of the garden in a sunny patch. Easy to follow instructions meant even the most novice of gardeners can grow these.

BREAKFAST:

Buckwheat and oat cakes with fig jam and yoghurt.

I started the day with a buckwheat oat cake which came with a fig jam and yogurt. This was quite dense oatcake but was a great alternative to standard porridge. It felt more substantial than a standard flap jack and it was quite quick and easy to prepare. My favourite part was the yoghurt and really refreshing fig jam which was had a very sweet taste. I preferred to dip the oatcake into the yoghurt to get the most of all the flavour combinations.

LUNCH:

Broad beans cherry tomatoes with quinoa
I am not normally a huge lunch fan but this light refreshing, generous portion of salad was a perfect lunch and feels very guilt free when eating.

Italian style soup

DINNER:

Italian style soup
We opted to have the Italian style soup as a starter and it’s instant great smell made it a hearty welcoming option. I particularly liked the variety of veg that contributed to my five a day. It was quite a rich soup but with lots of fresh, tangy ingredients which was satisfyingly filling.

Tofu kebabs + satay sauce
Great flavours and I particularly enjoyed the tofu flavour although the texture was a little spongy in the middle and sauce was more of a crumble. Visually it wasn’t the most compelling meal but it was easy to prepare and tasted great.

Dark chocolate and black bean cake with mixed berry cream
What girl doesn’t like a great desert and I was most excited by this dish which I knew would satisfy my chocolate needs. The berry cream added a really light twist and complimented the cake. Knowing it was a guilty free option was a win in my book.

Overall the days food was a great way to have a break from the norm. I particularly liked the full feeling throughout the day and I did notice I wasn’t reaching for snacks between meals. Would I order again? Yep and especially as a healthy treat during busy work times.

Award-winning Romulo Cafe and Restaurant opens for delivery and collection

Londoners craving their fix of Filipino food are in for a treat as the multi award-winning Romulo Cafe & Restaurant has reopened its doors for delivery and collection.

On the menu are some of the eatery’s most celebrated dishes, from Adobo sa Gata (Chicken Adobo in Coconut Milk) and Pork Belly Humba through to Pansit Palabok (Steamed Seafood Rice Noodles) and Beef Tadyang (Honey Glazed Chilli Beef).

Add into the mix a selection of sides, including of course pandesal – Romulo’s signature warm, fluffy rolls – and a small yet concise drinks list, and your Filipino feast is complete.

Customers can order directly with the restaurant for pick up or curb side service – WhatsApp or SMS 07907 015450 call 02031416390 or email delivery@romulocafe.co.uk. Deliveries can also be made through Uber Eats and Just Eat.

Hours are 12 noon to 8pm, Thursday to Sunday.

Romulo Cafe & Restaurant, 343 Kensington High Street, Kensington, London W8 6NW.